Tool for handling open-ended retaining rings



May 18, 1948. w. scHAAFF ETAL TOOL FR HANDLING OPEN -ENDED RETAINING RINGS Filed NOV. 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 18, 1948. L. w.'scHAAFF Erm.

TOOL FOR HANDLING OPEN-ENDED RETAINING RINGS lFiledlNov. 17, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 24 Patented May 18, 1948 TOOL FOR HANDLING 4 OPEN-ENDED `RETAINING RINGS Louis W. Schaaif, Jackson Heights, Sigmund Waldes, Flushing, and Rudolf Fetl, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Waldes Koh-I-Noor, Inc., Long Island'City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 17, 1944, Serial No. 563,888

1 This invention relates to improvements in tools for handling open-ended retaining rings.

3 Claims. (Cl. 29- 229) As is 'well known, diculties are encountered in the handling for assembly and disassembly of open-ended retaining rings of the type adapted to be sprung into the groove of a shaft or a housing, for example, due to the fact that such rings must be spread or compressed in slipping them over the shaft or inserting them into the housing bore containing .the grooves in which they seat. To assist in handling such rings, it has been proposed, for example in Reissue Patent No. 18,144, to form the rings at their open ends with apertured ears or lugs into which working points provided on plier-type handling tools Vare inserted for the purpose of spreading or compressing the rings, depending on whether the ring is of the external or internal type.

The forces which are required to be exerted on the handles of plier-type handling tools to spread or compress the rings as aforesaid vthe necessary amount to slip them over a shaft or to compress them for insertion into a'housing bore are remarkably high for the larger size rings, .and in .the case'of ring sizes of 6" or more can amount pliers construction-and makes for diilculty in their operation and handling.

Moreover, in cases requiring the assembly or tion to provide a rod-like tool of the stated character incorporating power-developing or amplifying means for effecting angular displacement of the working points, whereby the tool is adapted for the handling of larger size rings requiring a high degree of spreading or compressing force. A still further object of the invention is the provision of a rod-like tool for handling open-ended retaining rings which is characterized by interchangeability of its working head, so that the tool can be used for handling rings of different sizes.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of self-locking driving or actuating means for the working points protruding from the head end of a rod-liketool as aforesaid, for

, example, a locking means as provided by a highratio, irreversible Worm gearinghaving low friction. V

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the following analysis of the invention wherein is illustrated embodiments of the invention in detail.

In the drawings: v Fig. 1 is a part-sectioned side elevation of one L embodiment of a tool according to the invention;

disassembly of a shaft located in a housing, or

the assembly or diassembly of a ring in a housing groove surrounding a shaft, it is often not possible or feasible to use pliers with elongated handles because the available space between shaft and housing is usually quite restricted.

The present invention has` for a principal object the provision of a hand-operated, plier-type tool for handling open-ended retaining rings as aforesaid which overcomes the disadvantages of the plier type tools as noted above. More spe-:1

cically, the invention aims to provide a simple and thoroughly dependable tool of rod-like construction which employs working points protruding from an end thereof, together with means for effecting relative angular displacement of the points as required to spread or compress the ring.

- A further object of the invention is to provide a Fig. 2 is an end view of the rear or driving end of the tool illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front or head end view illustrated in Fig. 1;' v

Figs.'4, 5 and 6 are detail views of the tool body member or stem;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified construction thereof according to which the working head of the tool is interchangeable; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken along line 8-'-8 of ofthe w01 Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, a tool according t0 the modification illustrated in Figs. 1-6 isvof rod-like construction and comprises a hollow stein lll forming the tool body member, the outer surface of which may be provided throughout its rmajor length with knurls or ribs II whereby the stem may be firmly gripped with one hand. The head end l2 of the stem is shown to be of reduced Aexternal diameter and is formed with outwardly Ylarly adjustable relative `thereto. adjustment, the housing L35 hasahub-like pro# .fjection 3| terminating 'in ,teeth .32 `vvhich mate thehousin'g and stem are secured lseparation.

.-by Ya crank lever, wrench or'the like.

having an offset inner end is inserted into the slot 2|, being secured by set screws 24, and itsA other end which extends forwardly-of theihead end a and in parallelism with arm fldmmi# nated in a working point 2,3, By reference to Figs.`

1 and 3, it will be seen that v'the l`working:points ill,

23 are oiset laterally of the axisfof stem 'and spindle to extend parallelto each other .andtd said axis, and that by reason of 'the inclination 4 locking in any position to which the Working points are spread or contracted. According to a further feature of the invention, the Vtool heads and points carried thereby Yare interchangeable for use with rings of differfent sizes :and of diferentrsize of ear apertures. Reerring'tO'the modification illustrated in Figs; ,'7 and 8, thertubular stem 45 forming the body 'of the tool at its driving end Vis provided with a igeaivhousing-I ot the form generally shown in jtheprior modification, the housing enclosing a gearing le adaptedto be operated by a handle Y eligesfeanierceserited; The headend el of the of the arms l$22 carrying said points, the latter extend substantially forwardly-'of the 'toollbody parts.

AccordingV to the invention, an irreversible .power-developing mechanism `for turning the spindle 2li relative to stem 'mthusto effectengular displacement of the working points Il, 23

with the minimum of effort, is provided. To this end, .the spindle 2B' carries at its rear or driving end a worm gear '25 engaging on one side. a Y

Whichis secured-to the .stem so as rto be angu- To effect this with teeth 33 cut into the end `face of the stem l0. An elongated guide and ,Wear-bushing'il tted into the 'housing hub 3i extends; as shown into an.enlarged.end-lboreY formed .at the 4drivingV endof .the stem. Tosecurethe hub i3! and Vits bushing 34 to the stem in desiredpositi'on .of angular adjustment relative thereto, `a set screw 35de ythreaded into a tappedrhole '31 provided .in the. end of lthe .hollow stem, the set .screw hav ing asmall diameter tipflextending into an annular 'groove 3e cutnto .the stem end Zo'f bushingfl.. Thus, upon.thei'housingibeing angularly `adjusted relative to stem, 'as permitted. by teeth 32 33,.inser.tion ofthe setscrevv 'Slt'.assur'es .that against axial .Arranged within the l housing filland meshing With the wormFge'ar 2S is .a Worm di! mounted onl Y a small diameter cross shafty 41. journaled `in the side Wallsof a housing extension ri'lFig. l2?) ,Y the cross shaft having one end extending to 'the .eX- terior of the housing and terminating in a squareV .orhex head fli3. whereby. the 'shaft -can 'be turned Turning oifth'e` shaft as .aioresa'idf through .rotation .of Worm Y, and Vgear. 26, eflects `rotation oi "the spindle Y 2i) Within .the stem ,and a corresponding angular-'displacement of. .the vworkingV ,points il, "23. By providinga high gear ratio between worm andwormgear, the latter have arpower developing ejiectpermittingturning of the spindle 2B -formed at the drivingend of "the-stemill butY which is .shown `to be-formedas a .separate part Y l headil and also against the edge of the reduced body stem-tais, however', formed as a separate -partand.istlescoped on to the reduced end 52 ofthe stem, as Yshown in Fig. 8. To secure the stem and head against relative rotation, the head *is provided with `a plurality of axial tongues 53 .engaging corresponding recesses or grooves 5d cut'into the shoulder :in which the reduced end 52 ofV the stem terminates. Thus, for example, if 'four suchjtongue land recesses are provided, the head v5iY can be adjusted to any one ofiour diierent angular positions relative to the. stem To secure 4theremovable Yhead '5l against axial movement relative to the'stem, thereduced end 52 of the latter is Vprovided with an annular groove `55 for 'receiving the end `of a screw 5d threaded into a Vtapped hole 51 ofthe head.

The stemil houses a spindle i8 corresponding generally to the spindle 2i) of theV prior modiit cation,'but diiering therefrom in havinga removable head-end 58,." The latter isprovided with a collar 553 vbearingV against an interior-shoulder Gil formed in the bore of the removable stem end 52 of the stem, so that uponsecurement of the stem head 5E Vthe spit/idleV head '.523 is also secured in place. AsV also shown in Fig. 8, the removable spindle head 'is secured ,against angular movement jrelative to spindle 'l-Siproper by a-tongue and groove connection't, 53, as shown.

rIhe removable stern`head"`5i,is provided with ears B5, tie-corresponding to the earsY i3, it of the prior modification forsecuring an'arm 61 carrying'arvvorliing'point 63 to the head. Similarly, thendetachable spindle head ,Ea is provided 'with anendslot"for'xedlysecuringithe arm 69 carry- Ving the Working Vpoint "2"@ 'for rotationV with the spindle. Theaforesaid Working .points correspond'to the Working'points |123 of the earlier described embodiment. Y

With the above Vdescribed construction, the interchangeableV heads may be removed for the substitution of heads provided Withrdiierently sized Working points bythe simple expedient of "freeing screvv' vuntil its end clears theV circular groove', Vwhereupon therheads may Vbezaxially slipped from the lstem 45 andrspindle 48, respectively. l Y Y Y It Will' be observed'from theabove that both vof the illustrated 'forms of the invention provide a rod-like tool having'working pointswhich extend -forwardlyqof the tool proper andare offset from fthe tool axis, together with means for turning thetool spindle so as Vto eiect angular displacement ofthe working points andjhence either Y spreading or compressing of ring With .which the` points are coupled. 'Due-to itsrod-like construction and the offset arrangement gofpoints Y tob'ody portion, the tooliswelladapted for insertion'intobore openings of restricted size.. Moreover,:due to the high ratio Wormgearing which servestojcoupleithestem and spindle'of the "tool and' (to effect 4relativeV rotation `Ltherebetvveen, 'a

tool as aforesaid provides a simple means of spreading or compressing even a large ring with one hand while the tool is held in the other, the high gear ratio between worm and worm gear permitting spreading or compressing of the larger size rings with a minimum of effort and with a low friction loss.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A rod-like tool for contracting or expanding retaining rings comprising an elongated tubular handle member, an elongated spindle member coaxially journaled for rotation in the handle member, a projection on each member extending beyond one and the same end of each member, said projections terminating in portions offset from the axis of said members, a work-engaging pin on each of said portions, said pins being parallel to each other and to the axis of said members, and irreversible power-developing mechanism connected to said members for creating relative movement of rotation between them for actuating said Work-engaging pins.

2. A rod-like tool as set forth in claim 1, wherein the projections on the handle and spindle members comprise outwardly and forwardly inclined arms.

3. A rod-like tool as set forth in claim 1, wherein the irreversible power-developing mechanism includes a worm gear 'on the other end of the spindle member, and a worm mounted for rotation in the other end of the tubular handle member and having meshing engagement with the worm gear.

LOUIS W. SCHAAFF.

SIGMUND WALDES. RUDOLF FEITL.

REFERENCES CITED v The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

